I don't know why I'm admitting this — I hate admitting things like this — but I started listening to Arctic Monkeys because of the hype. I have a soft spot for British music, and when I learned this band was setting records and taking the British music scene by storm I had to know what the fuss was all about.

Whatever You Say I Am, That's What I'm Not didn't get released in the US until some months after it had been a certified smash in the UK, but I was there the day it hit our shores. I listened to the album a number of times and, in the end, felt the hype did more harm than good to their cause. Sure, the hype helped them sell a shitload of records. I bought the record as a result of it. The album, though, didn't live up to the hype. How could it have? It is a good record, not an all-time classic.

As the hype machine began revving up for the release of Favourite Worst Nightmare, I was on the fence but leaned towards not buying it. I discovered that I just didn't listen to Whatever You Say enough and didn't anticipate FWN would be any different. Fortunately for me, some contacts took that decision out of my hands and sent me an advance.

The essential elements of the first record seem to be present on the follow-up disc. There is a hip hop-sensibility to Arctic Monkeys sound. Alex Turner spits his lyrics with that same rapid-fire delivery. I don't know if it's just my ears processing it or some studio trickery, but when he gets going it almost feels like every other word is coming from the left or right side. His cadence and cool are full frenetic effect, and if you listen closely you'll find yourself cracking up at some of the deliciously-delivered one-liners.